Something for Everyone

Bonhams’ fall American art auction offers a diverse array of fine historic art for collectors of all tastes

November 17, 2 p.m.

Bonhams
580 Madison Avenue
t: (212) 644-9001
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Approximately 70 works of fine historic American art will be on the block at Bonhams’ auction in New York on November 17. Among the highlights include Robert Frederick Blum’s (1857-1903) oversized study for the final version of Moods to Music which was commissioned by New York’s Mendelssohn Glee Club Hall and is now in the holdings of the Brooklyn Museum. The study piece has an estimated high end value of $300,000.

Robert Frederick Blum (1857-1903), Moods to Music. Oil on canvas, 31 x 147 in., signed upper center left: ‘Blum’. Estimate: $200/300,000

One of Winslow Homer’s iconic sailboats-at-sea watercolors is coming onto the market with great anticipation with an estimated value falling between $200,000 and $300,000. When the artist settled permanently in the seclusion of Proust’s Neck, Maine, he worked almost exclusively in watercolor and scoured the New England coast and the Caribbean for seascapes to render one of his favorite subjects in his unmistakable hand.

Winslow Homer (1836-1910), Sailboats at Gloucester, 1880. Watercolor and pencil on paper, 81/8 x 137/16 in. Estimate: $250/350,000

Ernie Barnes (1938-2009), Bojangles. Acrylic on canvas, 18 x 24 in., signed lower right: ‘ERNIE BARNES’. Estimate: $120/180,000

Other exciting works include a piece by renowned marine painter James Edward Buttersworth’s (1817-1894) titled West of New York Harbor. Buttersworth’s 60-year career was dedicated to portraits of all types of ships at sea such as racing clipper ships, steamers and yachts, and has played a significant role in preserving this colorful chapter in American history.

James Edward Buttersworth (1817-1894), West of New York Harbor. Oil on panel, 95/8 x 141/8 in., signed lower right: ‘J.E. Buttersworth’. Estimate: $40/60,000

Finally, there is a highly anticipated work by abstractionist George L.K. Morris. The untitled piece by Morris, whose work is represented in major museums including the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.; Metropolitan Museum of Art; and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, has a median estimate value of $40,000.

George L.K. Morris (1905-1975), Untitled, 1937. Oil on canvas laid down on board, 197/8 x 24 in., dated lower left: ‘1937’, signed Estimate: $30/50,000

Several other great modernist artists will also have works in the sale, among them Werner Drewes, Charles Green Shaw and Gaston Lachaise.

“The upcoming sale of American art encapsulates the richness and diversity of the American art category,” says head of American art at Bonhams. “Including works from both the 19th- and 20th-centuries, this sale includes fantastic paintings and sculpture ranging from the Hudson River School to Park Avenue Cubism, with something for every collector.”